1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to photographic cameras of the folding type, in general, and to such cameras having a plurality of housing members which are mounted for movement between an erect operative position and a compact or folded inoperative position, in particular.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Compact folding cameras employing a folded optical path between an objective lens and an exposure plane are well known in the photographic art. These cameras normally occupy less volume in both their folded and erect configurations than a traditional straight line, optical path, folding camera. A compact folding camera of this general type is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,110 to Pizzuti. The camera includes a horizontal base section having a film plane therein, a pivotable lens housing near one end of the film plane, a mirror assembly pivotably mounted adjacent the opposite end of the film plane, a foldable bellows and a cover section. The cover section is pivotally coupled to one end of the base section near the mirror connection and is interconnected with the lens housing for coordinated movement by an erecting link. The lens housing and mirror assembly are interconnected for coordinated movement by a linkage system. When the camera is erected, the cover section is angularly displaced with respect to the base section so that the lens housing, mirror assembly and bellows may assume their erected and operative positions over the base section in readiness to effect exposure of a film unit at the film plane. In response to closing the cover section, the mirror assembly, bellows and lens housing fold down onto the base section wherein they assume a stacked relationship over the film plane and are protectably covered by the overlying cover section.
While the above-described camera design has achieved a considerable degree of compactness, there is a present need for a bellows-type folding camera of even greater compactness that is also capable of being rapidly erected and folded, without one housing member interfering with the movement of another housing member and/or without stretching the bellows portion thereof, during such camera housing member movement. The interference of one housing member by another and the bellows stretching during rapid housing member movement in such cameras is due, in part, to the use of a two-degree of freedom erection system for rotatably and translatably coupling one movable housing member to another.